·3oz
fresh breadcrumbs (we could also use 250g of white wheat flour instead)

·1 oz butter (we could use 250cl of oil)

·Salt and
pepper

·Pinch of
dry mustard

Preparation:

Grate the hard cheese and before you begin with the
rest of the recipe, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (190ºC)/gas 4. In the meanwhile you can prepare
the rest of the recipe.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Lightly beat
the yolks together in a mixing bowl. Slightly warm the milk, and add it to the
beaten eggs along with the butter and mustard until you get an egg custard
flavored with mustard. Mix well, and during the mixing, add the breadcrumbs or
the flour, the grated cheese and some seasoning.

Whip the eggs whites until stiff, and fold it gently
into the mixture, retaining as much of the fluffiness as possible.

Pour the mix into a pre-buttered dish (or
pre-oiled dish). Cover the surface of the mix with more grated cheese and cook
for approx 40 minutes. It is ready when the pudding has risen well, is golden
brown in colour and is set in the middle.

Thursday, 29 March 2012

Now, watch this lucky escape from a collapsing water tank and answer the comprehension questions below.

1. What was the reporter focusing on?
2. What did he do when he heard the screams?
3. How does he describe the moment?
4. When was the fear instantly replaced with sorrow?
5. Where, on the tower, were the employees?
6. Why did the reporter think one of the employees was dead?
7. How did Bill, one of the employees, manage to save his life? Give as many details as possible.

Tuesday, 27 March 2012

What does this title suggest to you? What do you think the text is going to be about?

While reading

Read the text below and answer these questions: What type of text is it? Where do you think it comes from?

Next, read the text once again, attentively this time, and answer the comprehension questions below.

Text by Clifton Wilkinson.

As long as there’s conviviality in the air, and a “round” on its way, the Irish will forgive almost any faux pas. The weather, however, is less forgiving. Here are our staff’s tips for making your trip to Ireland unforgettable (in a good way).

Do…

•Get off the beaten track. For every site attracting throngs of visitors, such as the Cliffs of Moher, there’s an equally impressive one, like Slieve League, Donegal, with just the wind and/or rain for company.

•Get a round in at the pub - even if your fellow drinkers haven’t finished the one they’re on. The easiest way to lose new friends in Ireland is to be tightfisted at the pub.

•Be offended if people start gently making fun of you. “Slagging”, as it’s known, is almost a national pastime and the more someone likes you the more slagging you should expect.

•Ask people if they’ve ever seen a leprechaun - they won’t have. Don’t say “begorrah” - they’ll just shake their heads. And be sure not to say “to be sure”.

•Worry about your liver too much. Alcohol oils the famous sociability of the Irish and refusing a drink will have the same effect as asking about leprechauns.

•Criticise Ireland. The Irish can find something or other wrong with just about every aspect of their country (the Church, the economy and politicians being the biggest bugbears) but don’t appreciate outsiders doing the same.

•Look horrified at the prices of things in the South. Eating out in particular can be very expensive but quality has improved massively in recent years and now dishes generally offer value-for-(a lot of)-money. However many restaurants are trying to ride these tricky economic times by offering cheaper deals on weekdays, so be on the lookout.

The Lonely Planet Ireland guidebook can send you off the beaten track or into the finest pub. Its full-colour sections on Irish culture, food and drink, and outdoor activities will have you itching to make your way to the Emerald Isle.

Think you can manage a tongue-twister or two? The Lonely Planet Irish Language & Culture travel guide will challenge and entertain - to be sure!

Which sort of place would you be visiting if you heard ‘a round is on its way’?

Find a synonym in the text for ‘to be mean’:

If you had to forecast ‘horizontal rain’ for tomorrow , what would your weather forecast sound like?

Find a synonym in the text for this phrase: ‘Booze makes the Irish even more outgoing’:

After reading

Finally, and using the tips above as a sample writing, make your own article entitled Spain Dos and Don’ts. When you are ready, read it to the rest of the class; your partners might ask you some questions about your tips, so get ready for conversation!

Listen again and read the lyrics. Then, find phrases
in the previous exercise that mean the following:

Risin' up, back on the streetDid my time, took my chancesWent the distance now I'm back on my feetJust a man and his will to surviveSo many times it happens too fastYou trade your passion for gloryDon't lose your grip on the dreams of the pastYou must fight just to keep them alive

It's the eye of the tigerIt's the thrill of the fightRising up to the challenge of our rivalAnd the last known survivorStalks his prey in the nightAnd he's watching us allWith the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heatHangin' tough, stayin' hungryThey stack the odds still we take to the
streetFor the kill, with the skill to survive

It's the eye of the tigerIt's the thrill of the fightRising up to the challenge of our rivalAnd the last known survivorStalks his prey in the nightAnd he's watching us allWith the eye of the tiger

Risin' up, straight to the topHad the guts, got the gloryWent the distance, now I'm not gonna stopJust a man and his will to surviveIt's the eye of the tigerIt's the thrill of the fightRising up to the challenge of our rivalAnd the last known survivorStalks his prey in the nightAnd he's watching us allWith the eye of the tigerThe eye of the tigerThe eye of the tigerThe eye of the tiger

to become unable to
understand or control a situation

continued playing in a
competition or sports contest until the end

showing that you are able to
deal with an unexpected problem

to increase the possibilities
of somebody losing

be brave enough to do
something

Finally,
think about the two questions below and post your comments:

Why do you
think this has become a motivational song for sportspeople all over the world?
What do you think the eye of the tiger means?

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Marriages between people from different
countries are rising nowadays. This is the conclusion of a recent Spanish
study, which shows that if the tendency goes on, next year one out of five
weddings will be between foreigners, which in my view could be mainly due to a
higher number of commuters and travelers around the world.

Some people feel uncontrollable attraction to
foreigners, who are seen as more glamorous, and attractive than someone from
our own country. This feeling is stronger at the beginning of a relationship,
when trying to understand the other person and finding out the unknown aspects
in her or his life make everything exciting for both parts. Nevertheless, this
passion may not last forever and turn into a problem that leads to an end of
the couple.

As regards cultural differences in couples, I personally
believe that although they both love each other, their particular customs and
traditions can be a drawback that may put the relationship in danger. For
instance, a specific way of behaving, thinking or doing things in one country could
be not accepted in the other and that provoke a clash of cultures.

Another point in con is that although both can
speak same language, if they don’t have a good command of it, many
misunderstandings may arise.

To sum up, we live in a global world where borders
are crossed everyday and where migration and work reasons are the driving force
of a change in our old-fashioned nuclear family concept. In my opinion, leaving
aside cultural barriers, many intercultural couples can perfectly survive if
they are respectful towards the other’s customs and traditions.

As a result of globalization marriages with
foreigners have increased in the last years. Although some people argue that
such unions will always have problems due to the barriers of prejudice, in my
view there are no reasons to think in that way because an international
marriage has many positives sides.

It is generally known that people from different
countries who get married have to struggle with a variety of special issues
including those related tocitizenshipand culture,
which add complexity and challenges to these kinds of relationships.

For example, if you are living outside your country
permanently you won’t be able to see your family very often. Moreover, if you
have children, they will see their grandparents very little. Learning a foreign
language is often another challenge to accept, the customs of your native land,
food, dress and other aspects of your original culture might be hard to deal
with.

But, before you get married there must have been
a period of time since you first met someone until you take the final decision.
So before that, how did you manage to live abroad? How did you manage to go out
and communicate with him or her? Have you fallen in love with him or her?

As long as two people of two different countries
are in love, that’s all that matters, there is really nothing much to argue
about. They should go on with their lives and be happy.

They will develop a deeper understanding of
people and things beyond borders, new ways of thinking, new customs, and they will
take the better of two worlds and share these with their children if they have
any.

The human race is improving and looking better
not only because of the advances and improvements in every aspect of our lives,
but also because of what we are doing to the genetic diversity.

To sum up, I believe that marriages with
foreigners have, on the whole, a positive influence provided that both of them
agree with conditions. Inmy opinion, this is not for purely logical reasons,
but because to get together is a part of what being human means.

Monday, 12 March 2012

With
the cultural globalization phenomena, cross cultural marriage has become a
current issue. And either it comes from
a whirlwind romance or an internet-based relationship, a cultural clash comes
to add stress on the already stressing lives of most families nowadays.

Personally,
it seems to me that marrying a foreigner could be an exciting adventure, and
despite the variety of special, new and strange issues it might arise, it could
be though, interesting and challenging. However, it is good to bear in mind
that these apparently refreshing traits of challenging relationships may often
become a source of frustration, conflict, misunderstanding and hurt.

When
it comes to raise children, I entirely agree the influence of another cultural
pattern of behavior can be extremely positive, as it might broaden their minds. Actually, only if both parents try to speak
their own native language at home, the children are raised bilingual, which is
a great thing nowadays. Although, I strongly believe it involves certain awareness
in order to guarantee the success of these long term commitments.

It
is often claimed that beside this awesomeness with regard to cross cultural couples,
there are certain drawbacks which are difficult to overcome. Firstly and
foremost, the cultural gap usually implies not being able to share each other’s
humor, which I agree is one of the main foundations of a healthy relationship. Not
to mention the way we value time, work ethics, learning styles, eye contact and
even ideas about public affection.

On
the other hand many people argue that interracial married couples usually have
to face the possibility of being prejudiced against or even suffer racial
discrimination, which could make life even more difficult. This argument thus
may discourage many mixed couples from getting married. I consider there are a
number of flaws in this argument as I believe it encourages racism instead of
dissuading it.

In
spite of the disadvantages above I believe that true love, trust, support and
respect for each other are the main ingredients for a cross cultural marriage
to success.

In
conclusion, what is important to me though, is real love and respect. Marrying a
foreigner is a big decision and it is important to stand by each other during
difficult times. On the other hand keeping both languages and cultures in the
host country, although it might sometimes be hard, it is convenientand
worth it.

Read the newspaper story about a lucky lottery winner and answer the questions.

Fortunate Fiona wins big Roll-Over in Mail’s Saturday Lottery

Fiona couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the numbers on the front page of The Mail in her local Co-op. She dashed off home to check her ticket and then, grabbing her mac and umbrella, set off for a swift one in her local to celebrate the big win. The barmaid, on seeing her excited face, asked her if she’d just won the lottery. Fiona beamed, admitted that she had and bought a round of champagne for everyone in the bar. She’s currently sunning herself on the deck of a liner on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise around the Med.